Euronews: Samsung Scores Irish 4G DealEuronews: Samsung Scores Irish 4G Deal

Samsung has landed a 4G radio access network (RAN) deal with 3 Ireland, the South Korean vendor's first such deployment in the country and its second in Europe, the other being with 3 UK. Samsung will deploy LTE base stations and associated packet core elements across the country, with service launch planned for August. (See Samsung's 4G Breakthrough.)

Colt, the pan-European service provider, has launched a new range of on-demand cloud services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Goodies on offer within the Colt Ceano range include virtual server, virtual desktop, security and infrastructure management, communication and collaboration applications, voice and Internet access. (See Colt Riffs On Its Service Wrap.)

Deutsche Telekom has been given the go-ahead from Germany's Federal Network Agency to deploy VDLS2 vectoring technology for the upgrade of its copper network, reports Telecompaper (subscription required). It must, however, allow rivals to access the upgraded network, unless suitable alternatives are already available.

A Swiss utility firm, Energie Wasser Bern, is expanding its FTTH network in the city of Bern with the help of Germany's Keymile AG, which is providing its MileGate multi-service access platform, and Ericsson AB. Energie Wasser Bern is supplying 40 percent of the investment in the project, with Swisscom AG providing the rest.

It's not easy being loaded: Reuters reports that Stephane Richard, the CEO of France Télécom – Orange, has said he will take a pay cut to bring his salary below the €1 million (US$1.3 million) mark if the French government brings in its threatened "wealth tax," which will impose a 75 percent tax rate on executive salaries above this paltry threshold.

ZTE Corp. is adding to the growing influence of China in Africa with the landing of a smart meter deal in Angola. ZTE will provide utility Angola EDEL with equipment, construction, personnel training and operations/maintenance services.— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading